Harare , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Six Zimbabweans arrested last year for watching footage of the Arab Spring protests were found guilty Monday of conspiracy to commit public violence .

The men face six to 10 years in prison or a $ 2,000 fine when they are sentenced in a Harare court Tuesday .

They were among 46 people arrested on February 19 , 2011 , during an academic meeting where a video on events in Tunisia and Egypt was shown .

`` I am very disappointed that they were found guilty , '' defense lawyer Alec Muchadehama said after hearing the verdict .

Rights activist Munyaradzi Gwisai said the verdict was `` not surprising . ''

`` We are not deterred , '' Gwisai said . `` We are not intimidated . ''

Police released 40 of the attendees , but charged the rest with treason or attempt to overthrow the government by unconstitutional means . Those charges were altered to conspiracy to commit public violence .

The government has said the six were plotting an Egyptian-style uprising in the southern African country . Critics have called the charges politically motivated .

The defendants were allegedly watching video footage of protests that led to the ouster of Presidents Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt .

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe , 87 , is not unlike the toppled leaders .

He has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 and has been accused of rigging elections and instituting repressive laws to tighten his grip on power .

The arrests may be an indication authorities are worried the winds of change sweeping across North Africa may inspire Zimbabweans to rise up , too .

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change , MDC , which is in a troubled unity government with Mugabe 's ZANU-PF , has called the arrests `` an abuse of state machinery by ZANU-PF to suppress the people 's views . ''

Mugabe has called for new elections but his political rival and leader of the MDC , Morgan Tsvangirai , has threatened to boycott the poll if a referendum on a new constitution is not held . In an interview with CNN , Tsvangirai called Monday 's judgment `` very , very unfortunate . One thing I would say is it 's totally uncalled for . ''

Asked whether an Arab Spring-type movement is needed in Zimbabwe , he said , `` Now we are on another path of negotiation and setting up a transitional government and having elections -- there 's no need for it . ''

CNN 's Zain Verjee and Journalist Columbus S. Mavhunga contributed to this report .

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`` We are not deterred . We are not intimidated , '' rights activist says

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Forty six people were arrested for watching a video on Egypt and Tunisia protests

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Critics have called the charges politically motivated

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Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980